Raphael Uchegbu defends his 145lb Title

Written by Tchanu Bala-Kumaran 

Full Contact Contender(FCC) double-champion, Raphael Uchegbu continued his ascent through the UK MMA ranks with a dominant win in December at FCC 36, all watched live around the world on UFC Fight Pass. 

Uchegbu (9-1) fights in the renowned Liverpool based gym, Team Kaobon. Kaobon has gathered global recognition, after breeding huge UFC stars and champions such as Darren Till, Mike Grundy and Tom Aspinall.  

Looking to follow in his teammates footsteps, Uchegbu made his UFC Fight Pass debut this year in April at FCC 33. A dominant FCC debut, where he claimed the Bantamweight Title via round five armbar vs Molano.  

He next had a quick turnaround, agreeing to fight up a weight class for the FCC Featherweight title at FCC 34 in June. Uchegbu improved on his previous performance, submitting Matheus Linhares(8-2) in round three via rear-naked choke.  

Uchegbu’s most recent bout on December 16th was the third time he took the main-event spot this year, a rare accolade for any fighter. He returned to face Brazil’s Lucas Rodrigues (12-5) in a first defence of his featherweight title.  

Uchegbu dominated from the first round, to the last. Establishing his trademark snapping jab, and thudding leg kicks early on. Rodrigues had only lost once in the last decade, yet the Liverpudlian fighter made him appear inexperienced with his resounding victory. A relentless barrage of ground and pound in the final round lead to the referee stopping the fight with only a few minutes on the clock.  

The scouser has ten professional bouts to his name, as well as an impressive amateur career behind him. Uchegbu is now a proven finisher with an 88% stoppage rate in his 9 wins.  

It seems like only a matter of time until the talented Kaobon fighter is the newest addition to the UFC roster.